Excellent choice.

Those guys are rampant here in Texas. I've probably had 3 guys at my door trying to get me to switch electric providers. 

I'm only paying $0.02 kWh (Source Power & Gas 6 month contract price - Energy Ogre found them for me). They ain't beating that. 

Even after taxes, base charge, delivery charge, etc, etc - I only average $0.07 kWh. My bill last month was $118 on 1,687 kWh worth of usage. 

OP  -
Guy at the door -


They deserves each other.

I mean, the guy lives in Youngstown. That should be enough right there.

Why are you trying to put a fellow arfcommer in the poorhouse?

Hey OP, Im not sure if it's the same thing but there is a big scam being ran right now around here by people claiming to be First Energy.

Basically, it's exactly as you describe.  They work in pairs and they are very persistent.  The goal is to get you to hand over your energy bill and they either a) they pilfer your information to steal your identity or b) rob you when you are distracted.

We had two of them working the neighborhood here about 3 weeks ago.


This is taken directly off FirstEnergy's website informing the public of the scam:



AKRON, Ohio, July 15, 2015 -- FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) has launched a Scam and Fraud Information section on its website to help raise awareness of fraudulent activity and educate utility customers about these threats to their personal safety and security.  The new site, available at www.firstenergycorp.com/scaminfo, describes known scams targeting utility customers, and provides tips and resources to help consumers identify fraudulent schemes.  
"We take our customers' safety and security very seriously," said Ronald I. Green, vice president of customer service for FirstEnergy Utilities.  "This website is part of our continued effort to educate customers about scam activity and help them avoid falling victim to con artists who are posing as representatives of our company."

Nationally, scam artists impersonating utility company employees have targeted victims through door-to-door visits, phone calls, and electronic communications.  The criminals often try to instill fear that power will be disconnected if the victim does not comply with the demands.  Customers have reported the theft of money, personal data and valuables.

FirstEnergy's Scam and Fraud Information site describes some of the most widespread schemes targeting utility customers, and offers facts and safety reminders that can help customers avoid becoming a victim of these crimes.  Scams listed on the site include:

Power shut-off scam:  In this nationwide scam, customers have reported receiving phone calls from someone who claims to be associated with the local electric utility.  The caller threatens to shut off the customer's power unless an immediate payment is made, and the customer is often instructed to use a pre-paid debit card or a money transfer service.  
Door-to-door solicitation:  In this scam, individuals go door-to-door, claiming to be affiliated with the utility company.  The scam artists often work in pairs, and have been characterized as very persistent.  These individuals may inquire about the resident's electric service or rate, and ask to review a copy of the current electric bill or other documents.  Police and media reports indicate that in some cases, after distracting the resident, these individuals have stolen property and personal information.  
Bogus fees for equipment:  Customers have reported receiving phone calls demanding a separate payment to replace an electric meter or other equipment.  In many cases, the caller threatens customers with disconnection unless an immediate payment is made.
"Customers who have questions about their account status or the identity of someone who claims to be one of our employees should immediately call our customer contact centers," Green said.  "We also urge customers to report any suspicious activity to the police, and to let us know if they believe they have been targeted by a scam."

Customers are encouraged to share this information with friends and family to continue raising awareness of these crimes, and to revisit the Scam and Fraud Information page on FirstEnergy's website periodically to check for updates on emerging scam activity.

In addition to understanding how criminals target their victims, the website offers reminders to help ensure customer safety and security, including:

FirstEnergy employees do not contact customers to request sensitive information such as social security numbers or bank account information, and they will not demand immediate payment over the phone.  Customers who are behind on their accounts receive written notice of their account status, along with instructions on how to avoid a disconnection of service.
Do not allow anyone claiming to be a utility employee into your home unless an appointment has been scheduled and the employee has provided proper identification.  
FirstEnergy's utilities offer a wide array of billing and payment options, and will never insist on a particular method of payment.  Only send your payments to your FirstEnergy utility company.
If you have any doubts about the status of your electric account or the identity of a company representative, call your utility company using the numbers below, which are also listed on FirstEnergy's website.

No doubt it's a ripoff, but he never claimed to work for anyone other than Pennsylvania Gas & Electric.

Work for the company that delivers it instead. I have to pay Texas New Mexico Power ~$0.04 kWh to bring it here. That's like...double, man. 

We own the distribution side as well.

It's really green energy subsidies that are killing our profits right now. That guaranteed money allows prices to drop into the negative when wind is blowing right.

Semi defensive posture is the new ARFCOM meme

Dude lives in Youngstown.  Watch out, OP, you're going to either A) Get cut or B) wind up wearing concrete shoes.

Okay, update time. Today was pretty productive. First, I called the front office, and was pleasantly surprised to find out that they don't have permission to be here. In fact, our complex expressly prohibits solicitation, as apparently it's posted on the office door. The office lady was VERY pissed, and told me she was calling to file a complaint, and urged me to immediately call the police if I ever see them again. She also told me she would be making note of this in the monthly newsletter everyone gets.

Next, I called the Pennsylvania Utility Commission. I told them what happened in its entirety, and she was very unhappy with what she heard. She told me that she was going to go ahead and open an official investigation into it, and that Pennsylvania Gas & Electric would have 30 days to respond. I was told I would get a letter at some point letting me know what action was taken. She was extremely helpful. Oddly, when my neighbor called, she got some woman who couldn't give two shits less. That's the government for you.

Finally, I called Pennsylvania Gas & Electric. I told him everything that went down, and that the property is off-limits. I also told him that I was informed by the PUC that they are opening an official investigation into it. I was blown away by how helpful the guy was. He may work for a shit company, but this guy was aces. He recorded everything I told him, and was very apologetic. He told me that he was going to escalate it immediately, and that in his experience, this typically results in termination. He said someone would be getting in touch with me within 48 hours.

So, we'll see

Good deal. Hammer down.

Good luck getting anything done, he's the owner!

What is a "semi-defensive" stance????

It's kinda like having a semi-boner. You're not quite ready to go full-on plow mode, but you're ready enough to get your dick wet.

Watch your 6 when the loser gets canned.

Carnival season doesn't start for months, so he's got nothing but free time on his hands.

Stay frosty in the near future.  This guy knows where you live.  

tag for the "someone grafitied/damaged my car or home"
some things are not worth engaging people on. if you were in public and he did not know where you live or who you are... sure.
but if they know where i live, not a chance will i check some looser mouthing off.
dont have time for that shit.  his shitty sales tactics and demeanor will keep him hustling for table scraps

FPNI !

I did too.  Scintillating tale, chap!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kAzjtMb_EyQ

I just tell people I can't hear them over the barking of the dog and don't think opening the door is a good idea. He sounds like he may have been a good candidate to open the door on.

Yeah, he looks every bit as much the snowflake I expected.
His generation lacks any concept of professionalism.
If you invite him into the house, beat the shit out of him, and call the cops saying he was breaking in, would they believe you or him?

Agreed it's difficult to walk away. I find myself having to talk myself out of the tower more and more. Ignorance is more the American way than not anymore.

If they're the slimy co. you say they are, I'd bet this is their standard response to any complaint.

While that's a distinct possibility, I didn't get that vibe from the guy at all. Of course, he could have me fooled. At this point, I just have to wait to hear back from the Pennsylvania Utilities Commission.

Either way, I will be paying extra close attention to my surroundings in the coming weeks. Fortunately, he doesn't know what vehicle I drive. It's possible that he could come back, and stake the place out, but I don't see this guy sitting in a cold car for hours on end. He would need to have the heat on, and that requires the vehicle to be running. Pretty easy during winter to spot a running vehicle sitting in the lot for an extended period of time. While he does know where I live, it would be virtually impossible to break into my place without somebody seeing him do it, and alerting the police immediately. That's the nice thing about having a sweet little old lady as my immediate neighbor, and another one who lives directly across from me. All she does is sit and stare out the window all day.

What I have working to my advantage as well, is that my future best man in my upcoming wedding is PSP, and apparently one of his co-workers lives right across the lot from me. He spoke extensively with him, filling him in on the details and showing him some pictures of the douchebag. He's keeping an eye out as well.

Working for a utility company myself I can tell you that if you get a hold of the right person, things move quickly and are taken seriously as hell.  Now having said that, getting a hold of the right person is damn near impossible.  

He lives in the town I grew up in LOL. 


Sounds like a typical Austintown entitled faggot. 

It's not the exact angle that disappoints me, it's the lack of wolf stare.

Came to post this.

Also wtf OP?! All this winning going on and no Freedom Boner to scare off the dude with?!

All of that is great if what you were dealing with at your door was an actual employee.

But if it was a scam then all the info could be fake up to and including his facebook online persona.

If that is the case then the hottie chick is likely in on the scam.


Some of these idiots are pretty sophisticated in the level of scam they will try to run.   Then they get cocky about it and run into some epic confrontation that brings down their house of cards.

Just figure these assholes are scamming or casing your house and dont open the door.   Call it in as a suspicious person and see if your neighbors will do the same.


Did it on some hood rat solicitor the other night that caught me outside while I was flying a drone at night.   Idiot tried to engage in her sucker you in random conversation approach and I shut her down before she got to the drive way.     It was dark, and because I was flying what she thought was a toy, she asked if my parents were home.   Told her to pound sand and nobody cares.    As she walked off to the next neighbor's house she made some idiotic false best wishes about hoping I dont crash.

Bit later a neighbor texts me about the obnoxious loud woman that came to the door and was asking questions about their employment as part of some survey.


Yeah...

Nothing good EVER comes from answering the door to an unexpected knock at the door.

Whats my first reaction when theres a knock at my door?


I look through the peep hole. What happens next can be easily flowcharted:

Do I know/recognize you or are you UPS/fedex/USPS? I open the door.

Are you anything other than the above?
I dont open the door. Fuck off.

Can I ask what county you're in OP?  IM me if you want.

Print off what you found.    Leave a copy with every unit in the area.   Send him a copy.

My place.   GTFO.   Try to stop me from calling the cops.   Deadly serious.

I'm in Mercer County, you?

I just tell those energy people that I don't pay the bill anyways. They shut it off months ago and I just reconnected the meter and get it free. One guy threatened to report it. If he did report it all they they found out is that he was full of shit.

hang a 'no soliciting' sign.

87% of 45 degrees..

my last one was kinda funny.....

i was in the shower....kids came running in to tell me there's someone at the door....i said, 'just ignore them and stay away from the door, they'll go away.'

kids come back in a few minutes saying, 'she saw us and waved at us, she's not leaving, she keeps knocking...'

so, i got out, wrapped a towel around myself and went to the door with a wtf look on my face...

she was kinda cute, so what the hell, opened the door, barely holding the towel from falling down....give her a good, obvious look up and down and say, 'what's up?'

she went into her shpiel, and i got got bored so i cut her off, said sorry i'm not gonna contribute anything today.

she says, no i'm not asking for money, we're asking people to write letters to the city council about 'xyz' initiative and we're the group that got the plastic bag ban put in place in Austin (very proud look on her face about this statement0

i said, 'look, for starters, if you're the group that did the plastic bag ban, we don't agree at all to begin with, secondly, no i'm not gonna write any letters for you...third (looking down at my unclothed self) i'm kinda in the middle of something here, so unless you wanna come join me......'

'no, thanks' and she left.....she took great care to not break eye contact with me which i thought was funny because i was eye fucking her the entire time she was talking...

Because most of us don't live in fear and only open the door to the mailman when you order your life nesessities arrives, such as 87000 packets of McDonald's ketchup packets on Amazon deals.

Same.  

OP, you should have called the police. 
In most cities, these door-to-door sellers are required to have a peddler's license.  And they never get one, of course.  So guys like that are breaking the law.

Small world, isn't it


ETA: Or are you sad that we're in the same county?

That shit right there... that's why I spend so much time in GD.

No shit.......

I did.  I still get a few stupid morons every year.